Penn’s Freshmen Welcome is always intense: Intensely tiring, intensely exhilarating, intensely active, intensely fast. Penn’s 1st year students have already been here a month, and are only 3/12 weeks away from Fall Break. As a staff, we don’t want to take these days for granted. Meeting new students, re-connecting with returning students, and seeing Bible Courses form is a joy, even in the midst of the intensity. We appreciate and need your continued prayers!
Good afternoon prayer partners,
We are nearing the end of our 4-week freshmen outreach, and we have welcomed with great joy a new crop of young men and women who want to know, love and pursue God here.
This last month has been a season of testing and trial; a mixture of pangs of discouragement combined with moments of joy and delight. Looking back, we are thankful for each of the new students God has brought into the ministry and for each gospel exposure, touch of kindness, and warm welcome we’ve been able to extend to the class of 2023. It’s not lost on me that our strength for this task came daily through the ministry of prayer.
As the pressure of the semester begins to increase, I ask that you’d pray for protection over our community from any of Satan’s classic schemes of gossip, disunity, or grumbling. Rather, pray that we would “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience” - Colossians 3:12
I also ask that you pray for God to move and be glorified in our midst during our Fall Retreat at the Incarnation Center, 11-13 October. There’s an appropriately-high expectation amongst our students that God is on the move and desiring to give us more of himself.
Thank you for your prayers. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all!
Warmly,
Clay Cromer
Ministry Director
Christian Union Lux
Please note: if you would like to receive regular updates on how to pray for Christian Union's work at Yale, please email prayer@christianunion.org.
This summer the CU New York and CU DC teams were able to connect with, and grow alongside recent graduates and young professionals, many of whom are transitioning into the workplace or graduate programs. These young professionals represent a number of esteemed universities and are eager to mature and step out boldly in faith - in cities which are enormously influential in shaping our culture and norms.
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
(Romans 15:1-7).
This passage is our theme as we turn our efforts toward welcoming new students. As I write this 1700 freshmen from around the world are wrapping up several days of orientation and settling in for their first classes this week. We are excited to meet them and welcome them as Christ has received us!
Chesterton House Hosts Speaker from Open Doors
By Zachary Lee, Cornell ’20
Vaughn LeMoss, the vice president of Open Doors International, a non-profit organization that supports persecuted Christians in over 60 countries, was the featured speaker when the Chesterton House at Cornell hosted its Friday Conversation Series on April 19. The theme of the evening was “Solidarity with the Persecuted Church.” LeMoss exhorted the audience to use their college degrees and future influence to aid global missions. He weaved practical advice in between touching anecdotes from his testimony, all the while expanding the students’ vision of God’s kingdom.
LeMoss hit the ground running by demystifying the fallacy that missions work is set apart solely for those in vocational ministry or “super Christians.”
Open Doors International supports the persecuted church around the world.
“You can serve the Lord in whatever capacity you’re in,” he said. “So often we say to ourselves, ‘I need to become a pastor first’ or ‘I should go to seminary.’ There is nothing wrong with those paths, but do not discount the place where God has you now.”
Qwynn Gross
Christian Union Ministry Fellow
Princeton University
A decision to sacrifice food or pleasure in order to get God’s attention is a demonstration of faith and assurance in the God who sees, hears, and answers the cry of His people. I’m reminded of Cornelius in the book of Acts, chapter 10. He was a devout centurion of the Italian regiment who always prayed and gave generous alms to the poor; yet, after a time of fasting, God instructed Peter to share the Gospel with him, so that, in the end, Cornelius’ whole family and friends heard the Gospel, received the Holy Spirit, and were baptized! Theirs was an unlikely meeting that ushered change for and within both men.
Scott Jones, a pastor and former Christian Union faculty member at Princeton, returned to the university and gave this outstanding talk at a Christian Union leadership lecture series event last spring. In this talk he takes a look at what it means to be distinctly Christian in the midst of one's vocational pursuit.
Christian Journal Adopts New Name, Refines Mandate
By Lauren Curiotto, Contributing Writer
The staff at The Columbia Witness, a Christian thought journal formerly known as Crown and Cross.
The Columbia Witness, the university’s Christian thought journal formerly known as Crown and Cross, will debut its first issue under a new name in fall 2019. The upcoming edition will directly address the campus community and introduce its new identity with the apt title, Dear Columbia.
In Memoriam: John Aroutiounian
By Kayla Bartsch, Yale ’20
Credit: Big Think
John Aroutiounian was remembered as a Christian who made an impact on campus.
The first time I met John Aroutiounian was at an alumni reunion for the Federalist Party, my debating society within the Yale Political Union. He gallivanted into our makeshift debate hall wearing a black cloak, his signature horn-rimmed spectacles, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. On the debate floor, he commanded attention by his unmatched eloquence and exuberance. With a coy smile and the gargantuan lexicon of an accomplished polyglot, he ravaged the position of his opponents, nonchalantly weaving in historical anecdotes about the bygone Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia to accentuate his point. John, however, wreaked destruction in a manner so charismatic and so kind, that his opposition often found themselves conceding with a smile.
Dalrymple ’98 Is New President of Christianity Today
By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer
As he settles into his new role as president and chief executive officer, a Stanford University alumnus has expansive dreams for Christianity Today. In May, Timothy Dalrymple ’98 assumed the helm of the global media organization founded by the late evangelist Billy Graham. Among his aspirations for the magazine are commitments to rich storytelling and thought leadership.
Dalrymple envisions Christianity Today sharing the “most powerful stories of our age” while expanding its global reach and better reflecting the diversity of the American church. Dalrymple described the legacy of the publication as extraordinary, but the future as even more dynamic.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
— John 16:33
Justin Woyak
Ministry Fellow
Christian Union Caritas
As a novice parent trying to figure out how to raise three young children (and making many more mistakes than I thought I would!), I often find myself saying inside my head, “What matters most in my relationship with my kids is that I love them, and that they know it.” Until recently, I found myself focusing on that first element: that I love my kids. After all, that’s the element in my control, right?
But as my children grow and parenting gets more complex, I find myself focusing more and more on that second element: that my kids know I love them.
Grace to the Humble
Sunday, September 1, 2019
The last 21 days have been rich times for me, and I trust they have been for you as well. Whenever I fast, I receive more fillings of the Spirit, more revelation from the Lord, and I experience more of His power in my life. As part of the 21-day fast, 12 of us in New York City took five days to really press in hard to the Lord. The group consisted of several Christian Union associates, as well as friends who are transitioning to new positions and therefore had time to take off a week, including a lawyer, an investment banker, a surgeon, and a few entrepreneurs. We spent Monday through Friday from 6 am to 8 pm (14 hours per day) praying, reading the Scriptures, worshipping God and discussing Biblical matters. It was an incredibly rich time, and a few of us plan to do the same for four weeks (excepting weekends) in November.
Fasting As Mourning
Saturday, August 31, 2019"Yet even now," declares the Lord,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments."
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
— Joel 2:12-13
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
— Matthew 5:4
Driven to Revival on our Knees
Friday, August 30, 2019The book of Esther reveals one of the most influential men of his era in the middle of an extended feast that was celebrated. King Xerxes requests that his queen parade her beauty before a council of over indulged men. She publicly refuses! Tempers and pride flare causing her to be publicly dethroned because of advice given by his council! Pride is a funny thing in that heart of a powerful person. King Xerxes is then placed in the position to find a new queen for his kingdom. Nestled in its pages of this drama, we find a hidden biblical narrative about two very intriguing people, Hadassah and Mordecai, who are the beginning of a beautifully woven together a message of hope for revival.
Greetings from Providence,
We are grateful for a restful and joyful summer. As a staff, we feel energized and look forward to welcoming new freshmen to campus in just a few short weeks. We are also excited to announce the addition of Benjamin Pascut, our new men’s ministry fellow, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team!
Wednesdays, 8-9 PM EST
Thatʼs important to know. Iʼll tell you in a minute the reason why.
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
Itʼs probably the most well-known revival verse in the Scriptures. This summer, itʼs been on our lips weekly, and itʼs on my mind constantly. “LORD, will you really?” I sat down with this passage for a couple hours this week, as I prepared to release the welcome campaign for the incoming class at Harvard Law School. As I was dwelling in the prescriptive and conditional promises of this particular verse, I found myself pausing and asking myself, “LORD, is that all it takes to bring revival?”
― Carl F.H. Henry
If there is a unique challenge in welcoming Harvard freshmen to pursue faith in Christ and immerse themselves into community, it is the issue of time. More specifically, it is a matter of timing. The clock begins ticking (next week) and all but expires within days. Countless decisions will rather quickly be made by members of 2023 regarding friend groups, classes and extracurricular activities. For a few weeks in September they will live in the happy illusion that they can do it all. This dream-like state, more often than not, evaporates in the chilly air of October.
After a summer of being far-flung around the world, Princeton students will be returning to campus in just over two weeks. In addition to welcoming returning students, we as a ministry are excited to be welcoming new freshmen on campus. This coming year is sure to be full of new things, and we strongly believe that God wants to do something new in our midst. In light of this, it is only fitting that our campus ministry is transitioning to the name of “Nova,” the Latin word for new.
